Author's Note: Hello everyone. Hope you are doing alright. Another chapter, just for you. Thanks again for everyone who read and reviewed. Enjoy! The story has elements of both Dark War storyline and DemonxBunny's Masters of the Multiverse, so all credit goes to both Impact Wrestling and DemonxBunny. I do not own the characters, only the OCs. The story is entirely fictional.
Characters may look and act different than they do in real life. This was done intentionally, and things will change over time in this story, so please be patient.
Rating: M, for violence, coarse language, and mature themes/events that will appear throughout this story. Remember, this is Femslash, so if that's not your thing, you may not like this story.
Pairings: Allie/Rosemary (DemonxBunny), others over time.
Aftermath of the Dark War Chapter 6: Revelations of a Time Long Past by Jurassicfatt
Allie's Pov, Kaduran City, Caretaker's home
"If he wasn't taking me to the market to sell me, what was he taking me for?"
"To... To sacrifice you." Caretaker reveals to me.
"What!" Rosemary and I both scream at the same time, before I continue. "What do you mean sacrifice? The sorcerer, he-he said-"
"He lied. His main goal was to use you as a sacrifice." Caretaker remarks, before putting his hand through his hair. I hear Rosemary curse at my side, her hands closing into fists and her arms shaking.
"I'm going to rip his fucking throat out!" Rosemary shouts.
"Wait, you still haven't explained why he would sacrifice me, though?" I ask. The sorcerer killed Braxton in the cave. If he really wanted to kill me, he could have done so easily.
"Because of the Jewel. My contact is an... old collector of sorts. He has heard of the Jade Jewel. He told me it is an artifact which has not been seen or heard of since before the Realmers arrived in the Undead Realm. An old tablet reads that 'The Jade Jewel, an epitome of a time long past, shall bestow unimaginable power upon he who finds it.'. However, it also says that 'If one finds the jewel, yet a second wishes to procure its power, the first one's soul must be taken'." Caretaker explains. "The sorcerer must have seen you take the jewel, hence why he didn't kill you right away, like he did Braxton. The only way he could get it's full power would be to sacrifice the one who found it." he says grimly.
I feel sick to my stomach. "So, you're telling me that the sorcerer kidnapped and brought me here to the Undead Realm, just to sacrifice me so he could obtain power from a rock? God, I was so stupid for touching that damn thing! If I would have just listened to Fallah, I wouldn't be in this situation!" I say, sitting on the couch and putting my face in my hands, starting to cry again.
"Now you see know why I did not wish to tell you? Please, my lady, I cannot bear to hear you cry again." Caretaker responds, his voice full of regret. Rosemary sits beside me, puts a hand on my back and rubs it up and down soothingly. I was taken aback by the gesture. Without thinking, I latch on to her and cry into her shoulder. She just holds me, but doesn't say a word. After a few minutes, my breathing begins to calm. I raise my head to look at her.
"Thank you." I say before wiping my cheeks.
"No problem." she says, before turning to Caretaker. "Have you learned who this sorcerer is?" she asks.
"I told him the description you gave to me. Tall, black eyes, pale skin with a red cloak. He told me only one bears that description: Certrius of Appalachia." Caretaker mutters with disgust.
"What! I thought he was dead?" she tells him.
"Apparently not. He and the Advocate have been presumed dead since the Battle of New Hellas. Hearing that he still lives fills my heart and mind with hatred." I hear Caretaker say through gritted teeth.
"Wait, do you two know this… Certrius?" I ask.
"Unfortunately, yes. Has Rosemary taught you of my homeland?" Caretaker asks me. I shake my head no. He then goes to a nearby shelf and grabs a pouch, which looks like it has some sort of golden dust in it. He then walks up to the golden cauldron I saw earlier and pours some dust in it.
"It is better if I explain with this. This is a summoning cauldron. Unlike the cauldron in my kitchen for cooking, this uses magic to communicate with others far away and to show long past events." Caretaker explains. The cauldron begins to glow red. Suddenly, a large purple smoke cloud appears over it. As I watch the cloud rise, I begin to see images flash within it, like a projector on a screen. I see three men on top of a temple. All three are white, with blue eyes and very similar features. The one farthest on the right has mid-length light-brownish hair, with a short beard and a trident. The one on the left has mid-length dark brown hair with a longer, rounder beard and holds what looks like a large two-pronged fork in his hands. The one in the middle has long white hair with a long beard, holding a lightning bolt over his head. They look like-
"The Greek gods?" I ask in bewilderment. Caretaker turns to me.
"So, the Earth remembers them? Intriguing." he remarks. "These are the three sons of the Warlord demon Cronus. Zeus in the Middle, Poseidon on the right, and Hades on the left. Cronus and his followers, the Titans, escaped from the Undead Realm. They were being hunted primarily due to Cronus' insatiable appetite for other Warlord's children. As the story goes, he came to Earth, with his bride Rhea, and began to terrorize the humans known as 'Hellenes', or as you called them, 'Greeks'. He fathered many children, devouring them all, except for one. Zeus, who had been hidden by his mother by feeding Cronus a rock. Zeus would grow older and eventually trick his father Cronus into regurgitating his other brothers and sisters. Together, they would destroy him and the Titans, becoming Gods to the ancient Hellenes." It shows the gods fighting against massive demonic looking creatures, with Hades riding a large scaled serpent.
"Wait, so the Greek Gods actually did exist? And they-"
"Created a floating fortress named Mount Olympus to live on and watch the humans, who revered them as Gods? Precisely." Caretaker finished for me. "The alliance between them would not last, however." The images in the cloud change. It shows Zeus on a throne with Hades in front of him. "Zeus believed that the mortals should have been grateful for their victory over the Titans. He slaughtered where he saw fit, and demanded sacrifices of food and flesh for him, his kin and the rest of his siblings. Hades, however, did not share this sentiment. His love for Persephone was too strong, so he could never be intimate with another. He was also against Zeus' plundering of the mortal world, believing that they were becoming too much like the Titans, and it would be best for them to leave the mortals be. He even refused to call the Kraken out of fear of what Zeus would have it do."
The image changes, showing Hades clashing his weapon against Zeus' lightning bolt, the two battling one another. "Zeus's greed got the better of him. He believed Hades wanted to usurp him and attacked his brother." It then shows Hades fighting Poseidon and other men/women wearing similar armor. He was seated on a large three-headed black dog with red eyes, as Poseidon crashed waves down around him. "Zeus turned their other siblings against him. Hades was a powerful Warlord, but he could not take them all by himself." I see Hades, with his knees on the ground, his arms held by ropes. Zeus stands above him with a raven-haired woman in his grasp. "Zeus made sure to make an example of his brother. He killed Persephone, as well as Hades' children Zagreus and Macaria." It shows Hades crying as he holds his wife and two teenage children's bodies in his arms.
"As Zeus went to finish off his brother, the Kraken arrived, having heard its master's cries." Caretaker continues. The picture shows a large black scaled serpent with a lion-like head. "The Kraken held off the Gods to protect its master, but Zeus struck his lightning bolt hard into its neck. Weakened, the Kraken spit out a small egg and gave it to its master, before charging at Zeus and the other Gods again. While this was going on, a portal had opened not too far from Mount Olympus." It shows Hades with the egg in front of a red portal, like the one I got pulled into in the cave. He turns around and sees the Kraken being killed by the other Gods, before jumping through the portal.
"Hades landed on a chain of 7 islands in the South West of the Undead Realm. The islands were plentiful in fruits, animals like pygmy bison, large trees and an absurd amount of marble. Hades spent many centuries there alone, surviving on whatever food he found, and mourning the deaths of his family." The picture shows Hades throwing the egg into the sea, his hair unkempt and his bead graying slightly. It shifts to a boat full of people, who look eerily similar to Caretaker, coming ashore. "Eventually, my ancestors, the K'los, who had been exiled by a Warlord on the mainland, would settle on the island. At the same time, another exiled group, this time Realmers, also made their way over. Both groups, having little left from their previous villages, did not wish to share with each other." Images pop up of people and demons attacking one another with spears and bows and arrows.
A dark-skinned woman, with reddish hair and blue eyes, is shown walking around the forest and then speaking with Hades. "Karina, a middle aged Realmer, was looking for food one day when she stumbled upon Hades. He was using his power to create marble walls to protect his home, having heard the battles waging between the K'los and the Realmers. He noticed her and Karina thought he was dangerous, but Hades told her he had seen her village friends and assured them he wanted to be left alone. With his power, Karina believed Hades could help end the violence. Hades did not want to get involved, but she returned every day for a month. One day, she brought a group of young children with her, to try and change his mind. They proceeded to trash his garden and home. Given her persistence and how she reminded him of Persephone, as well as to avoid more of his belongings getting destroyed, he, reluctantly, agreed." The picture changes to Hades in between two men, one Realmer and one K'los, the three discussing over a marble table.
"Hades met with the two chieftains and explained that he had lived on these islands for many years. If they wanted to remain, they would have to share it. It took time, but Hades was able to convince the two species they were not so different and to end the war. In exchange, he simply wanted to be left alone. After Hades mended hostilities, the two commanders erected a monument to him, built a home for him in the city, and even asked if he would be king. Hades was humbled by the gestures, but refused, believing his involvement would only lead to further problems. They asked him where he came from, and he told them 'Hellas'."
Images show a city made entirely of marble and wood being constructed. "They decided to name the capital city "New Hellas", in honor of him and his homeland. They convinced him to teach them all he knew of Hellas, the language, the art, everything. They would adopt similar dress and built their city to model a polis. Eventually, Hades was proclaimed peace keeper by the dual kings, K'lora the K'los and Atrios the Realmer. He would also marry Karina and, despite her age and by some miracle, she had a child. Our peoples would go on to settle all over the island, naming it 'Tartiricia', after Hades' domain Tartarus, and built a glorious civilization." Three cities made of pristine marble and wood are shown, their markets filled with Realmers and demons.
"New Hellas, Delios and Amphilios, the three capitals, became the richest and most popular cities in the Undead Realm. Immigration made the islands' total population go from a meager 400,000 to 4.5 million in 5 years. And peace was widespread. Alas, that doesn't go without attracting unwanted attention." The image shows three figures. One was a late 30-year-old man with long black hair and a black beard. He wore a silver breastplate, arm/leg bracers, knee guards and black boots. His eyes were purple with no pupils and he held a curved sword. Next to him was a shorter man with a bald head and a black cane in his hand. He was fully-covered in body armor, made completely of red scales. He had light blue eyes and a dark brown beard. Lastly was... the sorcerer! It couldn't be! He had a golden helmet, breastplate and bracers with brown boots. You could see the milky-white skin of his exposed arms and legs, as well as his black eyes and yellow teeth. He was younger, and had a large red cape going down his back, similar to the robe he wore in the cave.
"These three are the Warlord demons Govion 'the Conqueror', Father James Mitchell 'the Advocate', and Certrius 'the Sorcerer'. Govion, a Warlord with an extreme hunger for power, conquered his homeland of Appalachia from four major Warlords. When he finally finished his campaign, he was one of the most feared Warlords in history, surviving 15 assassination attempts. As time passed, he saw our cities rise to prominence, and envisioned becoming conqueror of Tartiricia and its riches. But given that his army was landlocked on another continent, there would be no way for him to do so. One day, Father James Mitchell, known for his roles as advocate to many successful Warlord demons, came to Appalachia and was impressed by Govion's forces. He became good friends with both Govion and Certrius. A powerful sorcerer, Certrius had changed to Govion's side during the conquest, betraying his own people to gain favor. Govion began speaking of his dream to conquer Tartiricia with the two. Mitchell explained that while the dream was difficult, it was not impossible. The three struck a deal: James Mitchell would provide dragons from the South and ships from the East to mount aerial/naval assaults, while Certrius would search the relics for a spell that would give him the ability to bring Govion and his armies to the Tartirician coastline."
The cloud showcases dragons breathing fire on the cities from above, as a portal opened over the ocean and dozens of ships come sailing out, heading straight for the shore. Images of the armies clashing and several Tartirician troops dead on the ground can be seen. Caretaker sighs, before speaking again. "It was a bloodbath. With Govion's troops on the ground, his Eastern navy easily dispatching the Tartirician's and our strongholds being bombarded by dragon fire, many Tartiricians never drew a sword before being killed. Govion sent one message to the kings: Submit." It then shows Hades with Karina, a small baby in her arms. "Hades was never fancy on war, but he knew K'lora and Atrios were too proud to ask for help. He told his wife to keep their child safe, before joining the fight, receiving the title of 'Peace Enforcer'. His strategy was to fire on the dragons, while he and the kings dealt with Govion's army."
We see Hades, with a large spear, single-handedly dismantling dozens of troops, all the while dragons and catapult fire litter the sky. One golden dragon with green eyes lands near Govion, with Father James Mitchell and the Sorcerer on its back. It then shows the Tartirician army following Hades, and the two leaders from earlier, K'lora and Atrios. The two kings yell and they charge towards Govion and his troops. Govion barks a war cry before he, Certrius and James Mitchell, who remains on the dragon, lead their troops towards the Tartiricians.
The two armies meet up and smash into one another: swords clash, men are thrown to the ground, shot with arrows or stabbed with spears, and blood is all over the white sand. Hades and Govion clash their swords, while Atrios and K'lora each fight Certrius and James Mitchell, respectively. Hades knocks Govion down before three troops attack him. He easily dodges and kills them, before seeing that the Tartirician army is suffering heavy casualties. He witnesses Mitchell shoot K'lora with a barbed arrow, hitting his chest. The three-eyed king falls to one knee, clutching at his breastplate. Certrius begins chanting a spell, his hands becoming covered in green fire. Hades runs to help, but is intercepted by Govion. Certrius shoots green fire at K'lora, but he is pushed out of the way by Atrios, who takes the full impact and is blasted into the jaws of Mitchell's dragon. The army focuses their arrows towards the two. Certrius uses a spell to create a shield around them. Hades knocks Govion down towards the ground before yelling "Retreat!"
Hades runs to K'lora, who is being carried by two Tartirician medics, one bald with a scar, and the other young and clean shaven.
"We cannot retreat, Lord Hades. We c-Anh!" K'lora says before wailing in pain, part of the arrow still deep in his chest.
"Where are the assassins?" the young medic asks.
"Govion's navy and dragons have created a blockade. They can't get past them, you fool!" the older medic shouts angrily. Hades puts a hand to the young man's shoulder.
"Listen, young one. Take the remaining men we have, and evacuate all remaining citizens away from New Hellas. Tell them the words 'last resort'. Get to the docks and sail to the nearest island. Hide in the forests and caves. Do not go to the cities. Do you understand?" Hades orders.
"What will you do?" the young medic asks.
"I will hold them off for as long as I can. Now go!" Hades yells.
"No!" K'lora screams, before being carried away. Hades turns around, branding a simple straight Greek-style sword in hand. He walks towards Govion and his remaining troops.
"Do you yield?" Govion asks, the tone of his deep voice causing several soldiers to laugh.
Hades simply stares down the man, before turning his gaze towards Certrius and James Mitchell on the dragon.
"Perhaps we could come to an agreement?" Mitchell says, his sniveling voice carrying out slightly. He still holds the bow in his hand. Certrius hovers in the air.
"You do not answer. Perhaps you brand yourself a loyalist?" Certrius says. I wince, hearing that shrill tone again.
"Leave. Leave this place and never return." Hades states, his eyes and hands beginning to glow red. Govion's troops laugh, but Certrius shushes them. Hades' entire body is covered in fire. He spins into the crowd of troops, incinerating some before attacking the rest. Govion jumps onto Mitchell's dragon as it flies away, and Certrius launches himself away from Hades' path. Govion jumps down and the three attack him, but Hades parries both Govion's sword strikes and Certrius' spells, then throws his sword at the wounded dragon's neck. It cuts deep, causing blood to pour down onto the sands below. As the dying dragon falls to the ground, Mitchell jumps off and lands on his back, groaning in pain. He gets up slowly as Hades continues to fend off Govion and Certrius. Block, parry, block, punch, elbow, block. They can't touch him. Mitchell fires his last arrow, but Hades catches it and stabs it into Govion's cheek, burning the skin with his touch. He grabs Certrius' hands and burns part of the skin, causing boils to develop on his knuckles. Hades throws him at Govion, knocking the two over. Mitchell then grabs his cane, twisting it to reveal a sword, and hobbles towards Hades. Hades kicks Mitchell and grabs the sword, melting the blade. Mitchell's eyes go wide.
"Hold on! How's about a deal? That offer about joining forces still stands, what do you say?" Mitchell says quickly. Hades is about to grab Mitchell by the throat, as Certrius hits him with a purple spell. Hades drops to one knee, the fire on his body subsiding. Mitchell grabs a handful of sand and throws it at his eyes. Hades punches the man and rubs his eyes furiously, trying to desperately regain his sight. A returning Govion kicks Hades down. Hades is lifted by Certrius using a levitation spell. He throws him head first into the hull of a ship, Crack! Then into a rock, bang! and finally up and down hard onto the ground a dozen times. Mitchell takes the remaining 2 inches of his sword and stabs it into Hades' leg, earning a moan of pain from the man. He laughs as Govion runs up and kicks Hades in the head, then grabs him with his right hand and lifts him up by his neck.
"You will pay for what you've done." Govion says through gritted teeth, showing his burned cheek. "You and your armies have lost. And now, Tartiricia is ours."
Hades, bleeding from the corner of his mouth, begins to wheeze slightly in amusement. "I-Is it-t?" he asks. Suddenly, huge rocks can be seen flying towards the four of them. 'Last resort' was a code: if the armies couldn't be stopped, get the citizens out while slowing down the enemy with catapult fire. Certrius chants, creating a shield around them, blocking the attack. But his hold is straining.
"Argh! He burned my hands! Without healing, I cannot hold this for much longer!" Certrius exclaims. Govion opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off.
"G-good-d..." Hades says before his eyes and body begins glowing red again. He glows brighter this time, his whole body turning a deep crimson. He grabs onto Govion, burning through his armor and into his arms the longer he holds. Certrius stops and turns, he and Mitchell shocked at the sight. A massive fiery explosion forms, knocking them both away. Govion and Hades are consumed by the large red inferno, burning the nearby soldiers and sand into dust and glass from the intense heat. Caretaker then speaks again.
"My people were able to escape, thanks to Hades' sacrifice. The assassins would finally break free hours later, but it was already too late. 2.6 million civilian and military deaths, as well as 15,000 assassins slain. Karina and her child never made it; their ship was destroyed by the Eastern navy. My homeland was completely decimated by Govion's attacks. Our people had to migrate to other lands. My father, the young medic you saw with Hades, moved here to Kaduran and met my mother, another refugee. Many people believed all three Warlords were killed, but obviously Certrius survived." he says to me.
And now he's hunting me. A War Criminal with magical powers is searching for me, so he can sacrifice me and gain power from a magic jewel. My heart begins racing, the image of Certrius' bloodthirsty attacks ever present in my mind. Rosemary breaks the silence.
"This time he won't escape. If I find him, I'll make sure to cut his head clean off." Rosemary says passionately, a fire filling her eyes.
"But you aren't here all the time. What if he comes when you guys are out? Or if he opens a portal and grabs me while I'm sleeping?" I argue.
"I'll sleep on the floor in this room if it'll make you feel safer." Rosemary responds immediately. "As for when I go back to work-"
"You could take her with you, if you feel uncomfortable leaving her." Caretaker says simply.
"What!" Rosemary exclaims. "That's really dangerous! I'm a demon assassin, hunting Warlords. I can't protect Allie and hunt at the same time."
"Yes, but most times your hunts are quick, and the clients are very respectful to you. You've helped them before and they should be willing to return the favor. If they refuse, simply tell them you will reduce your fee for the hunt." Caretaker suggests. "So long as Allie wishes to go with you, of course?"
I think for a moment. I don't know much about this place. Pretty easy pickings for a Warlord. I guess being with Rosemary is safer than staying here. Plus, it'll give me some time to get to know her better. As a friend? I hear a voice ask. Relax, Allie. Just get your emotions in check and these thoughts will go away on their own.
"Yeah, I'm fine with it. When do we leave?" I ask.
"Tomorrow. I've looked over my next assignment. It is rather distant." Rosemary explains.
"Come my lady, I shall help you pack your personals." Caretaker tells me. As I walk upstairs, my thoughts still linger on the images I just saw. If Certrius was able to do such horrible things to entire armies, what chance do I have? You have Rosemary. You know she'll protect you. A voice says in my head. Well, she did take one of his ribs and we know he's not immortal, so there's that. Don't dwell on the fear. The voice speaks again. Right, I've got to focus on packing and getting ready go to with Rosemary on her next assignment... wherever that is.
*Elsewhere in the Undead Realm*
Light snow falls on the ground. The moon light shines into some stained-glass windows. We see a church palace of some sort, located in the middle of a forested area. Inside, we see torches lit up, and many voices chanting can be heard downstairs. We move to a large room, and see Certrius with a few of those beaked demons. He is standing and fully healed, although a scar going across his abdomen's left side can be faintly seen. He paces back and forth, before knocking down a torch.
"Argh! Where is he? I have awaited him now for over six hours, and yet he has not arrived!" he bellows.
"Quiet down, Certrius. He'll be here soon." a woman next to him whispers. She has black hair with white streaks in the front, and light brown eyes. Her face is covered in thick white face paint, except for her eyebrows, black eye shadow and reddish black lipstick. She wears a red and white wedding dress with streaks of blood in it and red high-heeled shoes. Certrius glares at her, right before the double doors of the room spring open.
A bald man with a dark brown goatee and pinch walks in. He wears a red jacket, pants and a red and black clerical collar shirt. He also has black dress shoes and holds a golden cane in his right hand. He walks towards the woman and she runs to him.
"Su my darling!" he yells, before the woman bends her knee and bows her head. He tells her to rise, then turns to Certrius. "Certrius, old friend, how are you? Have you found it?" he asks, his sniveling voice echoing in the large room.
"James." Certrius says, bowing slightly. James bows also, before Certrius reaches into his robe, inadvertently showing his scar.
"What happened old friend?" he asks, eyeing the wound.
"An assassin killed my servants and tore a rib from my chest with her hook."
"Ouch! Perhaps some more healing could remove that scar-"
"Never mind. Here is the jewel." Certrius then hands the jewel to him. "Unfortunately, an Earth girl had already found it in the cave I was searching. I killed a mortal and took her, preparing to bring her to my sanctuary when the assassin attacked."
"So, she escaped with the assassin?" James asks, his eyebrows raising slightly. Certrius nods.
"It would be accurate to assume such." James laughs.
"Oh, so formal! How I have missed that, old friend!" James says amusingly, grinning. "No matter. So long as you are my guest, you are welcome to anything my palace has to offer. Waiter, will you please get Certrius some sustenance?" A small waiter with a white and red outfit runs off.
"What of the girl?" Certrius asks.
"Oh, don't worry old friend. We will find her. And when we do, that jewel will be the key to us fulfilling our destiny." James states, his grin widening and his eyes narrowing as he looks at the full moon.
A/N: Hello again. Some backstory on Caretaker's people and Certrius 'the Sorcerer' (I know, not the most original name). And we have the introduction of Father James Mitchell. The monsters Allie has chasing her are even more dangerous than they thought. But she's chosen to go with Rosemary on her assignments. I wonder what adventures she'll have on the road with the Demon Assassin? This might be my last chapter for a little bit, but thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. You guys rock. Hope to see you in 2022. Thanks again and have a great New Year!